Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on Friday, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit hosted by India.
During the meeting, PM Modi presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the celebrated Tamil classic attributed to poet‑philosopher Thiruvalluvar. The work, comprising 1,330 couplets on virtue, morality, governance, and love, is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Tamil literature and has been translated into multiple languages worldwide.
The gesture added a cultural and literary dimension to the bilateral engagement, underscoring India’s civilizational ties and shared values with Russia.
Putin arrived in Delhi earlier in the day for the two‑day summit, which will bring together leaders of the expanded BRICS grouping. India’s presidency has focused on strengthening cooperation in global governance, economic development, and people‑to‑people ties.
The Modi–Putin talks also provided an opportunity to review bilateral cooperation and discuss key regional and international developments.
